US Layoffs — December 2013
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers filed 234 WARN Act notices in December 2013, impacting roughly 22,140 workers — representing a notable rise over November and up 15% versus December 2012. Filings came from 24 states and territories, with an average of 95 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 100 | 6,652 |
| New York | 34 | 3,895 |
| Florida | 13 | 2,050 |
| Pennsylvania | 7 | 1,262 |
| Georgia | 8 | 1,116 |
| Texas | 9 | 1,052 |
| Kentucky | 10 | 1,000 |
| North Carolina | 7 | 849 |
| Michigan | 3 | 667 |
| New Jersey | 6 | 642 |
| Ohio | 4 | 638 |
| South Carolina | 3 | 341 |
| Maryland | 4 | 309 |
| Indiana | 2 | 250 |
| Utah | 3 | 227 |
| Virginia | 2 | 216 |
| Mississippi | 4 | 212 |
| Missouri | 3 | 186 |
| Arizona | 2 | 129 |
| Kansas | 1 | 121 |
| Idaho | 2 | 102 |
| Tennessee | 4 | 84 |
| Louisiana | 1 | 80 |
| Washington | 2 | 60 |
California led the nation with 6,652 workers affected across 100 notices , followed by New York (3,895 workers) and Florida (2,050 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 55 | 4,819 |
| Healthcare | 45 | 4,651 |
| Finance & Insurance | 29 | 2,603 |
| Transportation | 8 | 2,102 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 3 | 1,384 |
| Accommodation & Food | 6 | 972 |
| Information & Technology | 17 | 762 |
| Retail | 8 | 758 |
| Professional Services | 14 | 738 |
| Agriculture | 3 | 508 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 4,819 workers across 55 notices. In a parallel development, Healthcare reported 4,651 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 44 | 5,609 |
| Layoff | 32 | 2,210 |
Closures accounted for 25% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Francis Hospital and Health Centers | Poughkeepsie, New York | 1,141 | Closure |
| Reliant Transportation | Brooklyn, New York | 847 | Closure |
| Aramark Sports & Entertainment-La Convention Ctr | Los Angeles, California | 621 | |
| Southwestern State Hospital | Thomasville, Georgia | 600 | |
| Trw | Saginaw, Michigan | 585 | Closure |
| Hollywood Park Racetrack | Inglewood, California | 539 | |
| First Med American Ambulance and Ambulette | Cleveland, Ohio | 509 | |
| Cashcall | Anaheim, California | 486 | |
| Shorefront Center for Rehabilitation & Nursing Care | Brooklyn, New York | 482 | Closure |
| Walgreens Bethlehem Distribution | Bethlehem, Pennsylvania | 453 |
The single largest action involved St Francis Hospital and Health Centers in Poughkeepsie, New York, reporting 1,141 affected workers. Reliant Transportation followed with 847 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The data underscores mounting pressure on the the nation labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in December 2013. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act requires employers with 100+ employees to provide 60-day advance notice of mass layoffs and plant closings. Data is sourced from official state filings and updated daily by WARN Firehose, which also tracks SEC 8-K filings, bankruptcy proceedings, H-1B visa petitions, and unemployment claims across all six datasets. API access and data exports available.